Ingredients

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 4 carrots, grated
• 4 celery sticks, roughly chopped
• ¼ tsp dried thyme
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp gluten-free yeast extract
• 160g/5¾oz dried green lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 800ml/1⅓ pint boiling water
• 800g/1lb 12oz floury potatoes, scrubbed and roughly chopped
• 40g/1½oz butter
• 100g/3½oz light mature cheddar, grated
• 320g/11½oz frozen peas
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat a large sauté pan or saucepan over a medium heat. Add the vegetable oil, onion, carrots and celery and stir well, then cook for 5 minutes, or until just beginning to soften.

2. Stir in the thyme, oregano, tomato purée and yeast extract and cook for a minute. Add the lentils and mix well, then add the crumbled stock cube and boiling water and stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the liquid has reduced,

3. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a separate saucepan and cover with water. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until tender. Drain the potatoes really well, then return to the pan and heat for 1 minute, shaking the pan to drive off any excess moisture. Remove from the heat, add the butter, half the cheese and plenty of black pepper. Mash until smooth. Set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

5. Stir the frozen peas into the lentil mixture, then tip it into a medium-sized ovenproof dish and spread in an even layer.

6. Spoon the mash over the lentils, then using a fork, level it out (this creates little ridges that will become nice and crispy) to cover the lentil mixture completely.

7. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top, then bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve immediately.